Supporting member, conduit supporting device, and processing apparatus provided therewith

ABSTRACT

There is provided a supporting member having excellent durability and an apparatus including the supporting member. The supporting member includes an elastic member and a plurality of block members formed thereon. The supporting member is deformable from a shape in which end surfaces of the block members are in contact with each other to a shape in which the end surfaces are separated from each other. The elastic member includes a fixed region whose deformation is restricted by being fixed to a bottom surface of the block member, and the supporting member includes a flexure reduction unit for reducing flexure at a position near the fixed region of the elastic member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a conduit supporting device that isintegrated with a conduit and supports the conduit, for example, asupporting member and a conduit supporting device that support a conduitused in a robot traveling device incorporated into various processingapparatuses such as a machining line, a semiconductor manufacturingapparatus, a manufacturing apparatus for a display equipment such as aflat panel display or an electronic component mounting apparatus, and aprocessing apparatus including the same.

BACKGROUND ART

A robot traveling device for gripping and conveying workpieces such as aprocessing material, a wafer and a substrate is incorporated intovarious processing apparatuses such as a machining line, a semiconductormanufacturing apparatus, a manufacturing apparatus for a displayapparatus, and an electronic component mounting apparatus. In the robottraveling device, for example, a robot that handles a workpiece ismounted on a traveling bogie that reciprocates on a track. By operatinga hand of an arm of the robot, the workpiece can be gripped in the hand,and the workpiece can be attached to and detached from each processingmachine.

A cable for transmitting electric energy and a signal such as anelectric or light signal, or a tube for transporting gas or liquid ortransmitting pressure via gas or liquid (hereinafter, referred to as a“conduit” to encompass these cables and tubes) is connected to thetraveling bogie of such a robot traveling device. It is necessary tomaintain stable connection of the conduit with respect to the travelingbogie that reciprocates repeatedly so that a position thereof ischanged. Thus, a conduit supporting device is utilized that maintainsstable connection of the conduit by bending a conduit of a certainlength in a U shape including two linear portions facing each other anda curved portion connecting the linear portions and supporting theconduit, and changing a length of the facing linear portions dependingon the position of the traveling bogie. Such a supporting device cankeep a radius of curvature of the conduit at a certain value or moreeven in a course of changing the position of the traveling bogie. As aresult, it is possible to secure transmission characteristics andtransportability by the conduit and to prevent the conduit from beingdamaged.

A conduit supporting device that is flexible into such a U shape isdescribed in Patent Document 1. The conduit supporting device describedin Patent Document 1 includes a supporting member containing a flexiblematerial and a non-interlocking solid attached to the flexible material.The flexible material is made from, for example, stainless steel orspring steel, and the non-interlocking solid is made from, for example,a metal material or a resin material having a high resistance tocompression. The supporting member has a configuration in which bendingin a certain direction is limited by the non-interlocking solids beingin contact with each other, and in contrast, curving in an oppositedirection can be made by the non-interlocking solids being separatedfrom each other. This makes it possible to provide a supporting memberthat has high flexibility, a low mechanical noise, a small bend radius,a long life, and substantially no generation of a particulate.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4157096

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

However, the inventors of the present invention have found that theflexible material may be damaged by use for a certain period or longeror by a reciprocating motion of a certain number of times or more in aconduit supporting member described in Patent Document 1. If theflexible material is damaged during use, a function as the supportingmember is lost, and not only that processing in operation is notperformed appropriately, but also that the conduit is damaged andquality of an object being processed is impaired, which may lead tocontamination of a surrounding atmosphere due to raising dust or thelike.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, andan object thereof is to provide a conduit supporting member, a conduitsupporting device and a processing apparatus which are excellent inreliability.

Means for Solving the Problem

To solve the problem, a supporting member of the invention described ina claim of the present application comprises: an elastic member having afirst surface and extending in a first direction; and a plurality ofblock members fixed to the elastic member and each having a bottomsurface facing the first surface of the elastic member and an endsurface intersecting with the first direction, wherein the supportingmember is deformable, from a first shape in which the end surfaces ofthe plurality of block members are in contact with each other, into asecond shape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block membersare separated from each other and the supporting member is curved in adirection so that the first surface of the elastic member is at an outerside, the elastic member includes a first region whose deformation isrestricted by being fixed to the bottom surface of the block member, andthe supporting member includes a flexure reduction unit for reducingoccurrence of flexure at a position near the first region of the elasticmember.

Further, a supporting member of the invention described in a claim ofthe present application comprises: an elastic member having a firstsurface and extending in a first direction; and a plurality of blockmembers fixed to the elastic member and each having a bottom surfacefacing the first surface of the elastic member and an end surfaceintersecting with the first direction, wherein the supporting member isdeformable, from a first shape in which the end surfaces of theplurality of block members are in contact with each other, into a secondshape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block members areseparated from each other and the supporting member is curved in adirection so that the first surface of the elastic member is at an outerside, and the elastic member includes: a first region whose deformationis restricted by being fixed to the bottom surface of the block member;and a second region that is in contact with the bottom surface of theblock member in the first shape and is separated from the bottom surfaceof the block member in the second shape.

Further, it may be characterized in that a percentage of a total lengthof the first region of the elastic member to an entire length of theelastic member is 75% or less.

Further, it may be characterized in that the elastic member furtherincludes a third region that is separated from the bottom surface of theblock member in the first shape and is separated from the bottom surfaceof the block member in the second shape, and a percentage of the secondregion to a total length of the second region and the third region is10% or more.

Further, it may be characterized in that the elastic member is aplate-shaped member containing SUS301 or SUS304 and having a thicknessof 0.1 mm or more.

Further, it may be characterized in that the block member is made from apolymer material having a compressive elastic modulus of 1000 MPa ormore in a state in which no filler is contained.

Further, a supporting member of the invention described in a claim ofthe present application comprises: an elastic member having a restoringforce, having a first surface, and extending in a first direction; and aplurality of block members fixed to the elastic member and each having abottom surface facing the first surface of the elastic member and an endsurface intersecting with the first direction, wherein the supportingmember is deformable, from a first shape in which the end surfaces ofthe plurality of block members are in contact with each other, into asecond shape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block membersare separated from each other and the supporting member is curved in adirection so that the first surface of the elastic member is at an outerside, the elastic member includes a plurality of fixed regions whosedeformation is restricted by being fixed to the bottom surface of theblock member and a plurality of deformable regions that are curvable inthe second shape, a percentage of a total length of the plurality offixed regions to an entire length of the elastic member is 75% or less,and the supporting member includes a minimum curvature radiusprescribing portion that prescribes a minimum radius of curvature of thesupporting member.

Further, it may be characterized in that the plurality of block membersinclude a first block member and a second block member adjacent to thefirst block member, and the minimum curvature radius prescribing portionincludes: a first abutment surface formed in the first block member; anda second abutment surface formed in the second block member and incontact with the first abutment surface when a distance between thefirst block member and the second block member has reached apredetermined size by curvature of the supporting member.

Thus, a conduit supporting member, a conduit supporting device and aprocessing apparatus, which are excellent in durability, are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view conceptually showing a first example of a supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view conceptually explaining a mounting portion of a blockmember of the supporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view conceptually showing a second example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view conceptually showing a third example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view conceptually showing a fourth example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view conceptually showing a fifth example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view conceptually showing a sixth example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view conceptually showing a seventh example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view conceptually showing an eighth example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view explaining a method of manufacturing the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view explaining a method of manufacturing the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view conceptually showing a ninth example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view conceptually showing a tenth example of the supportingmember of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view conceptually showing an eleventh example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view conceptually showing a block member of the eleventhexample of the supporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view conceptually showing a block member of theeleventh example of the supporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a view conceptually showing a twelfth example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a view conceptually showing a block member of the twelfthexample of the supporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view conceptually showing a block member of thetwelfth example of the supporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a view conceptually showing a thirteenth example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a view conceptually showing a thirteenth example of thesupporting member of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view conceptually showing a conduit supportingdevice of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a view conceptually showing a processing apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 24 is a view showing a conventional supporting member.

EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of a conduit supporting member and a conduitsupporting device according to the inventions described in the claims ofthe present application will be described. It should be noted that theembodiments described below do not limit the inventions according to theclaims, and all combinations of features described in the embodimentsare not necessarily essential to the means for resolution of theinvention. In addition, the respective embodiments of respectiveexamples may be freely combined without losing technical meaning of thepresent invention.

The supporting member of the inventions described in the claims of thepresent application includes an elastic member, and a plurality of blockmembers that are arranged and fixed to an upper surface of the elasticmember and have end surfaces. The block members of the supporting memberform a linear shape (first shape) of the supporting member by each ofthe end surface being in contact with an end surface of the otheradjacent block member. The block members of the supporting member form acurved shape (second shape) of the supporting member by each of the endsurfaces being separated from an end surface of the other adjacent blockmember. The elastic member includes a fixed region (first region) fixedto a bottom surface of the block member and restricted from beingdeformed. The supporting member includes a flexure reduction unit forreducing occurrence of flexure in the vicinity of the fixed region ofthe elastic member. With such a configuration, a conduit supportingmember, a conduit supporting device and a processing apparatus, whichare excellent in reliability, are provided.

A supporting member CG includes an elastic member EE and a plurality ofblock members BE arranged on an upper surface of the elastic member EE.FIG. 1 is a view conceptually showing a supporting member of a firstexample of the present invention, in which (a) is a top view of thesupporting member, and (b) and (c) are sectional views of the supportingmember at an X-X position in (a). In (a), the elastic member EE is in astate of actually being blocked by the block member BE and not seen, buta width of the elastic member EE is represented by two broken lines forexplanation. (b) is a view representing a time when the supportingmember CG is in a linear shape, and (c) is a view representing a timewhen the supporting member is in a curved shape. Details will bedescribed later, but in the conduit supporting device, a conduit isformed along the supporting member, and a shape of the conduit in theconduit supporting device is restricted by the shape of the supportingmember.

The elastic member EE is a belt-shaped long member having flexibility.The elastic member EE extends in a horizontal direction (firstdirection) in FIG. 1 and is curvable in a plate thickness directionthereof. Thus, the elastic member EE and the supporting member CG canhave shapes of both the linear portion and the curved portion in a shapeof a letter U in the alphabet. The elastic member EE has not onlyflexibility but also a bending elastic modulus of a size capable ofsupporting weight of the elastic member EE, the block member and theconduit. Even when force due to the weight is applied to the elasticmember EE, this makes it possible to maintain a radius of curvature R ofa position corresponding to the curved portion of a letter U at acertain value or more and to prevent the conduit from being bent orcracked.

The flexibility and the bending elastic modulus of the elastic member EEmay be adjusted by the type of a material to be applied, a thickness anda sectional shape of the member to be applied, and the like. Forexample, it is preferable that the elastic member has such a flexibilitythat breakage does not occur even if the elastic member is stretched anddeformed 10,000 times between the curved shape having a radius ofcurvature of 100 mm and the linear shape. Further, it is preferable thatthe elastic member has such a bending elastic modulus that a deflectionamount due to its own weight is 50 mm or less, preferably 30 mm or lessin a cantilever structure having a length of 100 mm. It is particularlypreferable that the supporting member CG has such a bending elasticmodulus that a deflection amount due to its own weight is 50 mm or lessin a cantilever structure having a length of 100 mm when the elasticmember EE is placed under a plurality of block members BE.

The elastic member EE may be plastically deformed at a radius ofcurvature of 30 mm or less. In view of durability of the elastic memberand the supporting member, an elastic deformation region is preferablywide. However, since the conduit has a radius of curvature of a certainvalue or less, characteristics thereof may change irreversibly. When achange accompanied by an irreversible characteristic change of theconduit occurs during use of the conduit supporting device CU, thecharacteristic change of the conduit can be found at an early stage, anda treatment such as repair or replacement of the conduit supportingdevice CU can be promoted by using the elastic member EE that causesplastic deformation.

Alternatively, the elastic member EE may be plastically deformed at aradius of curvature of 15 mm or less and may cause breakage at a radiusof curvature of 5 mm or less.

As a material of the elastic member EE, a polymer material or a metalmaterial can be applied. For example, a resin such as polyamide may beused, or an alloy containing iron such as stainless steel and carbonsteel and a copper alloy such as phosphor bronze and beryllium coppermay be used. By applying a material generally used as a leaf spring,plastic deformation due to bending can be reduced. As an example, aplate-shaped member made from SUS301 or SUS304 and having a thickness of0.1 mm or more and 0.4 mm or less can be applied as the elastic memberEE.

The elastic member EE may be made from a conductive material such as apolymer material in which metal or conductive powder is dispersed. Forexample, by grounding at least one end of the conductive elastic member,charging of the supporting member and an electrical influence onto theconduit thereby can be reduced.

The elastic member has a property as a spring. That is, the elasticmember has a restoring force and is deformed by an external force butreturns to the original shape when the external force disappears. Thelarger the external force is, the larger a deformation amount is, andthe larger the deformation amount is, the larger a restoring forcegenerated is. The elastic member having such property does not require astructure such as a shaft and a bearing and may be a configuration ofthe supporting member that can change a shape with a simpleconfiguration. In addition, since the curved shape of the supportingmember can be formed only in a region having a relatively large bend Rnot including a region having an extremely small bend R, a physicalstress applied to the conduit or the like during curving can be reduced.

The block member BE contains a material having a large compressiveelastic modulus and is a solid firmly fixed to the upper surface of theelastic member EE. As the material of the block member BE, for example,a polymer material such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyacetal(POM), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and polybutylene terephthalate(PBT) can be used. The compressive elastic modulus can be increased bymixing a glass filler with the polymer material. In addition, lowfriction may be obtained by mixing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).Alternatively, a metal material such as aluminum, iron, or an alloycontaining them, a wooden material, and the like can also be used.

The polymer material is preferably a material having a compressiveelastic modulus of 1000 MPa or more, particularly preferably a materialhaving a compressive elastic modulus of 4000 MPa or more, in a state ofcontaining no filler. The polymer material is preferably a materialhaving a compressive elastic modulus of 6000 MPa or more, morepreferably a material having a compressive elastic modulus of 20,000 MPaor more, in a state of containing a filler. The block member BE not onlyhas a large compressive elastic modulus, but a light weight is suitable,particularly, a cured product of an injection molded polymer material, aproduct obtained by welding a metal plate or a material obtained by bendprocessing the metal plate, or a combination thereof is suitable. Inthis example, a cured product of glass reinforced polyamide obtained byinjection molding is applied to the block member.

In this example, each of the plurality of block members BE has the sameshape and the same size. The plurality of block members are arranged ona straight line and mounted on the elastic member EE. The respectiveblock members are mounted on the elastic member EE in the same directionand are mounted at the same interval.

The supporting member CG in a linear shape will be described withreference to (a) and (b) in FIG. 1. The plurality of block members BEare arranged along a longitudinal direction (first direction) of theelastic member EE on an upper surface EUS of the elastic member EE.Although only three block members are shown in FIG. 1, the number ofblock members may be a number at which at least the supporting member CGcan form a U shape including a linear portion and a curved portion, andmay be determined as appropriate from tens to more than thousandsdepending on the required length of the supporting member (determined bya movement distance required by the conduit supporting device).

Each block member BE has an end surface BES including one end and theother end, a bottom surface BBS facing an upper surface EUS of theelastic member EE, and an upper surface BUS which is a surface oppositeto the bottom surface. The bottom surface BBS includes a contact portionBCP in contact with the upper surface EUS of the elastic member EE andan escape portion BEP separated a predetermined distance from the uppersurface EUS. On the other hand, the upper surface EUS of the elasticmember EE includes a contact region ECR which is a region in contactwith the contact portion BCP.

When in a linear shape, the end surfaces BES of the plurality of blockmembers BE are in contact with the end surfaces BES of the otheradjacent block members BE. As a result, the supporting member CG isrestricted from curving in a direction in which the block member BE ison an inner side (hereinafter, curvature in a direction protrudeddownward is referred to as a valley warp and curvature in a directionprotruded upward is referred to as a mountain warp when the block memberis present on the elastic member as described above). That is, even whena stress (for example, gravity due to weight of the supporting member orthe conduit) in the direction in which the valley warp is generatedacts, the supporting member CG and the supporting device including thesupporting member CG can maintain a linear shape.

In this regard, the linear shape may not necessarily be along a perfectstraight line, and may have, for example, slight curvature (for example,a radius of curvature is 800 mm or more, preferably 1000 mm or more) ina direction of the mountain warp in a state of including no elasticdeformation due to its own weight.

Further, the end surface BES may not necessarily be a surface positionedfarthest from a central position of the block member. For example, theblock member may include a protruding shape region extending outwardfrom the end surface of the block member.

By the end surfaces of the respective block members BE being separatedfrom each other, it is possible to form a mountain warp within anelastic deformation range of the elastic member EE (see (c) of FIG. 1).At this time, a fixed region ECR1 that maintains contact with thecontact portion BCP of the block member and a semi-fixed region ECR2separated from the contact portion BCP of the block member are formed inthe contact area ECR of the elastic member EE. In other viewpoints,curvature in a certain direction is restricted by contact with thebottom surface of the block member, but the semi-fixed region ECR2 ofthe elastic member EE is configured to be curvable in a directionopposite to the certain direction.

With such a configuration, the supporting member CG in this example isreduced from flexing, and high durability can be provided. A reason whythe durability is improved will be described using the conventional art.FIG. 24 is a supporting member 10 shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1,and a plurality of non-interlocking solids 14 are mounted on theflexible material 12. In the supporting member 10, the flexible material12 includes a region (hereinafter, referred to as a “deformationrestricted region”) in which the non-interlocking solid 14 is mounted sothat deformation is restricted, and a freely deformable region(hereinafter, referred to as a “free deformation region”) withoutmounting the non-interlocking solid. In such a configuration, when thesupporting member 10 is curved in a direction of the mountain warp, thecurved shape is formed by only the free deformation region having only alimited length. Therefore, in the flexible material 12, a sharp bendoccurs locally in a free deformation region, particularly in an endportion of the free deformation region.

Hereinafter, for the sake of distinction, a macroscopic bend formed bythe elastic member over a length including a certain number (forexample, 10) or more of non-interlocking solids (block members) isreferred to as curvature, and a microscopic bend of the elastic memberlocally occurring at a position other than the mounting portion of thenon-interlocking solid, etc. is referred to as flexure. A radius ofcurvature of the flexure is smaller than a radius of curvature of thecurvature, that is, there is a sharp bend shape, and occurrence offlexure breaks the elastic member or accelerates fatigue ordeterioration of the elastic member. In particular, in a case where theelastic member has a predetermined bending elastic modulus as describedabove, or in a case where the elastic member has a restoring force, whenflexure having a locally small radius of curvature occurs, reliabilityof the elastic member may be greatly affected.

The inventors of the present invention who have found the problem firstconsider to reducing occurrence of flexure by reducing the deformationrestricted region and increasing the free deformation region. Inaddition, it was studied to generate a bend of the flexible materialeven in a region where the non-interlocking solid is mounted, forexample, by forming an elastomer having an elastic modulus smaller thanthat of the non-interlocking solid between the flexible material and thenon-interlocking solid. However, as a result of experiments and studies,it has been found that a new problem may arise in these methods.

When the conduit supporting device is used in the processing apparatus,a large force in a direction parallel to a direction in which theflexible material extends may be applied to the non-interlocking solidof the supporting member. For example, the non-interlocking solid at aposition which is an end part of the linear shape portion in the U shapeof the supporting member and is adjacent to the curved shape portion is,at its one end at the linear shape portion side, in contact with otheradjacent non-interlocking solid so that a pressure is applied from theother adjacent non-interlocking solid, but, on the other hand, is not incontact with another adjacent non-interlocking solid at its other end atthe curved shape portion side. Therefore, a large stress in a directionfrom the linear shape portion side toward the curved shape portion sidemay be applied to the non-interlocking solid. Alternatively, when theconduit supporting device is deformed at high speed, momentarydistortion in the shape of the supporting device may add stress in adirection in which the flexible material extends to a particularnon-interlocking solid.

At this time, in the supporting member in which the deformationrestricted region is reduced as described above or the supporting memberin which the elastomer is formed between the flexible material and thenon-interlocking solid, the non-interlocking member is easily andlargely inclined. The non-interlocking solid largely inclined may causeflexure on the flexible material at an adjacent position near themounting portion. In addition, the non-interlocking solid may ride on orslip under the other adjacent non-interlocking solid. In such a case,the flexible material may be flexed at the adjacent position near themounting portion of the non-interlocking solid.

In contrast, in the supporting member of the present invention, theelastic member includes the semi-fixed region ECR2. This region does notrestrict the curvature in a direction of the mountain warp of theelastic member EE. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the same effectas in a case where the fixed region is reduced with respect to thecurvature in the direction of the mountain warp. Even when the fixedregion is reduced, the semi-fixed region ECR2 can reduce inclination ofthe block member BE with respect to the elastic member EE. As a result,the supporting member where occurrence of flexure is reduced anddurability is greatly improved is provided.

In addition, in the linear shape, since a contact area between the blockmember BE and the elastic member EE can be increased, a proof stressagainst the curvature in a direction of the valley warp can also beincreased. This makes application to a processing apparatus having alarge moving distance possible.

In this example, the fixed region ECR1 is formed at a position betweenthe two semi-fixed regions ECR2. The fixed region ECR1 and the twosemi-fixed regions ECR2 are formed at positions between two escapeportions BEP without contact between the block member and the elasticmember at a timing including a time when the supporting member CG is ina linear shape. In this way, by reducing the restriction of deformationof the elastic member stepwise from the fixed region, it is possible toobtain a supporting member which is capable of being smoothly operatedand has excellent durability. Further, the structure is symmetrical withrespect to the fixed region. By adopting such structure, even during ahigh speed operation, vibration is reduced, and a stable operation canbe obtained. However, arrangement is not necessarily limited thereto,and for example, a semi-fixed region of a certain block member may beadjacent to a semi-fixed region of an adjacent block member withoutproviding the escape portion BEP. Alternatively, in an upper surface EUSof the elastic member EE, a fixed region may be formed on one side, anda semi-fixed region may be formed on the other side of a region facingthe contact portion BCP of the block member.

It is sufficient for the elastic member in the fixed region that itsrelative position and shape are fixed to the bottom surface of the blockmember with which the fixed region is in contact. For example, in thefixed region, the elastic member does not need to have a precise linearshape, and when the elastic member is fixed in a curved shape, it issufficient if that the curved shape is maintained.

In a longitudinal direction of the elastic member, a percentage of atotal length of the plurality of fixed regions to an entire length ofthe elastic member is preferably 75% or less, more preferably 50% orless, and particularly preferably 45% or less. Such a supporting membercan secure a region (the semi-fixed region and/or region facing theescape portion) where deformation of the elastic member is possible overa certain length or more during curving. On the other hand, when thefixed region is extremely reduced, it becomes difficult to securemounting strength of the block member and an inclination preventioncharacteristic of the block member, and therefore the percentage of thelength of the fixed region to the entire length of the elastic member ispreferably 15% or more.

A percentage of the semi-fixed region of a region other than the fixedregion of the elastic member, namely of a region that can be deformedwhen the supporting member is curved, may be 10% or more, preferably 30%or more, and particularly preferably 70% or more.

When the above percentage is calculated, the entire length of theelastic member does not necessarily need to be an entire length from oneend to the other end of the elastic member included in the supportingmember, and a length sufficient to the entire length of the block memberof, for example, 1 m may be taken out and regarded as the entire lengthof the elastic member. In particular, in the supporting member, when theblock member is formed of repetition of the same shape, the length maybe regarded as the entire length of the elastic member by taking out alength of an integral multiple of a length of the repetition pattern.

At least a deformable region of the elastic member has uniform bendingelasticity in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member. Such aconfiguration is provided, for example, by a leaf spring having the samewidth and thickness over the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 2 is a view conceptually showing a mounting portion of thesupporting member according to the first example of the presentinvention. (a) is a side view, (b) is a view seen from a lower surfaceside of the elastic member EE, (c) is a sectional view at a position ofY-Y in (b), and (d) is a sectional view at a position of Z-Z in (b).

In this example, the block member BE includes a lower surface sidesupporting portion BLS formed on the lower surface side of the elasticmember EE. The lower surface side supporting portion has a function ofmounting the block member on the elastic member by sandwiching theelastic member EE together with the contact portion CP of the bottomsurface BBS of the block member. Positions of the lower surface sidesupporting portion BLS and a body portion of the block member are fixedto each other via a connection unit. The lower surface side supportingportion BLS may be integrally made from the same material as the blockmember BE or may be made from a material different from the block memberBE. The connection unit between the lower surface side supportingportion BLS and the block member BE may be formed in a region outsidethe elastic member EE and/or may be formed through a through holeprovided in the elastic member EE. The connection unit may be integrallymade from the same material as the block member BE and/or the lowersurface side supporting portion BLS or may be made from other materialsuch as a screw or a rivet.

The area and shape of the lower surface side supporting portion areimportant. In the region where the lower surface side supporting portionis formed, the curvature of the elastic member is restricted except, forexample, a case of a form to be described later. Therefore, in order toform the semi-fixed region, it is necessary that, as viewed from thebottom surface, a size of the lower surface side supporting portion issufficiently small compared with a size of the contact portion BCP onthe upper surface side of the elastic member with the block member BE,and the semi-fixed region can be formed at an appropriate position.

Further, as shown in (b) of FIG. 2, by arranging a plurality ofconnection units in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection (first direction) of the elastic member EE, it is possible toachieve both the size of the semi-fixed region and magnitude ofconnection strength. The number of the connection units is not limitedto two as shown in the drawing, but may be three or more, and may bearranged in two stages or in a zigzag manner. A shape in a plan view isnot limited to a circular shape and may be an ellipse or a rectanglehaving a longitudinal direction in a direction perpendicular to thefirst direction. Alternatively, a plurality of ellipses or rectangleshaving a longitudinal direction in a direction parallel to the firstdirection may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the firstdirection.

When a through hole is formed in the elastic member as described above,a width of the elastic member in a region close to the formation regions(a distance between two sides of the elastic member parallel to thelongitudinal direction of the elastic member) may be larger than a widthof the elastic member in the other region (not shown in the drawings).Alternatively, the width of the elastic member at a contour position ofthe lower surface side supporting portion may be larger than the widthof the elastic member in the other region (not shown in the drawings).As a result, it is possible to reduce a partial decrease in strength dueto formation of the through hole and deterioration of the elastic memberdue to concentration of a stress.

In this example, the block member BE is mounted on the elastic member byinjection molding of a resin material. The resin constituting the blockmember BE is formed so as to wrap around a side surface and a lowersurface ELS of the elastic member EE, and surrounds the elastic memberEE from four directions over a certain length as shown in (c) of FIG. 2.In the portion of the elastic member including the fixed region ECR1,deformation in both the mountain warp direction and the valley warpdirection is restricted by the resin. The elastic member EE is furtheradjacent to both sides of the portion and has a resin formed on theupper surface and the side surface but has a region at the lower surfacein which a resin is not formed. This region includes the semi-fixedregion ECR2, and the curvature in the valley warp direction isrestricted by the resin on the upper surface side, but the curvature inthe mountain warp direction is not restricted by any resin.

The elastic member EE may have a recessed portion or a through hole inthe fixed region ECR1, and mounting strength to a stress in a directionparallel to the first direction can be improved by injection molding sothat this part is filled with the resin.

Further, the side surface supporting portion in contact with the sidesurface of the elastic member EE may not be necessarily formed. However,the side surface supporting portion at a position adjacent to the fixedregion ECR1 makes the mounting firm, the side surface supporting portionat a position adjacent to the semi-fixed region ECR2 has an effect ofmaintaining a shape during curving, and therefore, it is suitable toinclude either one or both of these side surface supporting portions.

FIG. 3 is a view conceptually showing a second example of the supportingmember of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 3 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 3 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. Although a connection unit between the block member BE and thelower surface side supporting portion BLS is represented by a brokenline, the connection unit is not necessarily required to be positionedat this cross-section (the same is applied also to FIG. 4 and laterdrawings unless otherwise specified). In this example, at least a partof the upper surface of the lower surface side supporting portion BLSformed on the lower surface side of the elastic member EE is formed of acurved surface, which is different from those in other examples. In thisway, the semi-fixed region ECR2 can be formed larger. Further, byadjusting the position and shape of the upper surface of the lowersurface side supporting portion BLS, a minimum radius of curvature ofthe curvature of the elastic member EE in the bottom surface and aperipheral region thereof of each block member can be prescribed. Inthis way, since the lower surface side supporting portion BLS in thisexample functions as a unit for limiting an upper limit of a curvatureamount, it is possible to reduce occurrence of flexure due to variationin microscopic curvature in the longitudinal direction of the supportingmember CG. The upper surface of the lower surface side supportingportion BLS may not necessarily be a curved surface as long as a sidecloser to the end surface BES of the block member is lower than a sideof the fixed region of the elastic member, and may have another shapesuch as a step shape.

FIG. 4 is a view conceptually showing a third example of the supportingmember of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 4 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 4 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. In this example, a low elasticity layer ELL is formed between thelower surface ELS of the elastic member and the upper surface of thelower surface side supporting portion BLS, which is different from thosein other examples. The low elasticity layer ELL has an elastic modulussmaller than that of either the lower surface side supporting portionBLS or the elastic member EE. As the low elasticity layer ELL, forexample, urethane resin, vinyl chloride, fluorine rubber, and the likecan be applied. As a result, even when an area of the upper surface ofthe lower surface side supporting portion BLS is increased to a certainrange, restriction of the curvature of the elastic member EE in themountain warp direction can be reduced. The low elasticity layer ELL maybe formed in at least a region corresponding to the upper surface of thelower surface side supporting portion BLS and does not need to be formedon the entire lower surface ELS of the elastic member. However, by thelow elasticity layer ELL being formed by application or pasting to theentire lower surface of the elastic member before mounting of the blockmember, manufacturability of the supporting member can be improved.

FIG. 5 is a view conceptually showing a fourth example of the supportingmember of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 5 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 5 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. In this example, a high rigidity layer BHL having an elasticmodulus higher than the block member body is formed on the end surfaceBES of the block member, which is different from those in otherexamples. The high rigidity layer may also be formed on a side surface(a surface parallel to the first direction), which is not shown in thedrawings, of the block member. The high rigidity layer BHL is made froma high hardness material such as a polymer material such as PEEK or ametal such as carbon steel. Even when a specific gravity of the highrigidity layer is large, by being kept in partial use, the supportingmember is provided in which elastic deformation and wear of the blockmember are reduced while a weight increase is minimized.

In this example, by bending a plate made from SUS304 or aluminum, a capportion including a recessed portion therein is formed, and the capportion is covered with a block member body portion made from a polymermaterial. In particular, when a covering member has a certain thicknessin the longitudinal direction (first direction) of the elastic memberEE, hoop molding can be performed in a state where the elastic memberhas a linear shape, and thus high productivity and reliability areprovided as will be described later.

The high rigidity layer BHL is not limited to a shape covered with apolymer material, and for example, one or more columnar high rigiditylayers BHL may be embedded and fixed, in a direction parallel to thefirst direction, in the block member body made from a polymer material.Alternatively, the high rigidity layers BHL may be fixed onto the blockmember body portion via an adhesive layer.

The high rigidity layer BHL is preferably exposed at both ends of theblock member BE as shown in the drawing but is not limited thereto. Forexample, both ends of the block member BE may be made from a polymermaterial constituting the block member body. It is sufficient that thehigh rigidity layer BHL is formed so as to increase the compressiveelastic modulus of the block member against a compressive stress in thedirection parallel to the first direction.

FIG. 6 is a view conceptually showing a fifth example of the supportingmember of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 6 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 6 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. In this example, a recessed portion is formed in the semi-fixedregion ECR2 of the elastic member, and a protruded portion that can befitted in the recessed portion is formed at a position corresponding tothe recessed portion on the bottom surface of the block member BE, whichis different from those in other examples.

When the supporting member is in a linear shape, the protruded portionand the recessed portion can mesh with each other to increase themounting strength of the block member against the stress in the firstdirection. When the elastic member EE is curved in the direction of themountain warp, the protruded portion and the recessed portion moverelatively in separate directions to not restrict the curvature. Aprotruded portion may be formed on a side of the semi-fixed region ECR2of the elastic member and a recessed portion may be formed on a side ofthe bottom surface of the block member. The recessed portion may be athrough hole.

FIG. 7 is a view conceptually showing a sixth example of the supportingmember of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 7 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 7 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. In this example, a protruded portion (or a recessed portion) isformed on an end surface BES of a block member, and a recessed portion(or a protruded portion) is formed on a surface that is an end surfaceof another block member adjacent to the block member and faces the endsurface BES of the block member so as to mesh with the protruded portion(or the recessed portion). The protruded portion (or the recessedportion) preferably has a sectional shape such as a circle or a squareviewed from the first direction, such as a truncated cone or a truncatedpyramid, but may have a shape where the cross-section has a longitudinaldirection. For example, in a sectional shape extending in a directionparallel to a width direction of the elastic member EE, and in asectional shape that can reduce the block member from riding on orslipping under and extends in a direction perpendicular to the uppersurface of the elastic member EE, rigidity of the supporting memberagainst torsion can be effectively increased.

FIG. 8 is a view conceptually showing a seventh example of thesupporting member of the present invention. (a) of FIG. 8 represents across-section of the supporting member in a linear shape, and (b) ofFIG. 8 represents a cross-section of the supporting member in a curvedshape. In (a) of FIG. 8 and (b) of FIG. 8, for the sake of explanation,only a view showing a sectional structure of the block member BEpositioned at the center of the drawing is shown by a broken line. (c)of FIG. 8 is a top view of the block member, and (d) of FIG. 8 is a topview of the block member in a form different from that of (c) of FIG. 8.In (c) of FIG. 8 and (d) of FIG. 8, a width of the elastic member EE isindicated by a broken line for explanation, and the fixed region ECR1and the semi-fixed region ECR2 of the elastic member EE are indicated byhatching.

In the supporting member, the block member BE is formed by bending ametal plate. The block member BE has a top plate including a rectangularupper surface BUS, and the top plate has a first side S1 parallel to afirst direction of the elastic member EE and a second side S2perpendicular to the first direction ((c) of FIG. 8 and (d) of FIG. 8).The first side is a line where a side surface BSS of the block member BEintersects with the upper surface BUS and is formed by bending a flatplate. The second side is a line where an end surface BES of the blockmember BE intersects with the upper surface BUS. Although the secondside may be formed by bending in the same manner as the side surface, inthis example, the side surface of the metal plate that is a material isused as it is. The second side S2 may partially include a recessedportion or a protruded portion, and has a post BMP that is bent downwardand extends downward until contact with the elastic member EE ispossible in a region adjacent to the recessed portion and a regionincluding the protruded portion. An apical surface of the post BMP is incontact with the semi-fixed region ECR2 of the elastic member in alinear shape and is separated from the elastic member in a curved shape.

In this example, the fixed region ECR1 formed at the center of the blockmember is separated from the semi-fixed region ECR2 formed in thevicinity of an end portion of the block member. By increasing a distancebetween the fixed region and the semi-fixed region, an inclinationprevention effect of the block member can be more effectively exhibited.The block member has a quadrangular configuration including three sidesformed in a shape of bending the raw material metal plate and one sidemade from an elastic member as viewed from the first direction. Due to ashape effect of such a configuration, the block member can achieve bothhigh compressive elasticity and lightness. The shape is not limited to asquare as viewed from the first direction and may be a triangle or more.Further, the side of the elastic member EE may have a side made from ametal plate within a range that does not restrict the curvature in thedirection of the mountain warp of the elastic member.

Further, as shown in (d) of FIG. 8, a part of the metal plate or thepost may be protruded outside the end surface of the block member, andat least a part of the semi-fixed region ECR2 may be formed outside theend surface of the block member. At this time, the adjacent block memberpreferably forms a recessed portion that is retreated to the inside ofthe end surface of the block member at a corresponding position. Byavoiding interference between the protruded region and the adjacentblock member and having portions that mesh with each other, deformationin a transversal direction or a torture direction can be reduced. Theprotruded region may have a post extending perpendicularly downward fromthe upper surface BUS but is preferably a post having a shape thatextends obliquely downward and penetrates into a region overlapping withthe adjacent block member.

FIG. 9 is a view conceptually showing an eighth example of thesupporting member of the present invention. As shown in the side view(a), in this example, each of the different block members includes afixed region and a semi-fixed region. An effect of reducing flexure bythe block member including the semi-fixed region also extends to a blockmember that does not include a nearby semi-fixed region. Therefore, thesupporting member including the block member having only the fixedregion and the block member including the semi-fixed region providesimproved durability.

As shown in the bottom view (b), in the same block member, the fixedregion and the semi-fixed region may be arranged in parallel (in adirection perpendicular to the first direction). At this time, as shownin the drawing, the elastic member EE includes two elastic members, andeach of the plurality of block members BE may be mounted so as tostraddle a first elastic member EE1 and a second elastic member EE2. Thetwo elastic members are disposed adjacently on the same plane and extendin the first direction. Further, it is particularly preferable that thefixed region and the semi-fixed region are adjacent to each other in thefirst direction. By arranging in a zigzag as shown in the drawing, aparticularly stable durability improving effect can be obtained.Further, by arranging the fixed region and the semi-fixed region withregularity, it is possible to obtain a small and averaged effect of adifference due to the position of the supporting member.

FIG. 10 is a view explaining an example of a method of manufacturing thesupporting member of the present invention. First, through holes areformed at a first pitch in the elastic member (not shown in thedrawings). Next, the elastic member in which the through hole is formedis introduced into an injection mold including a plurality of cavities.In this example, the injection mold has six cavities, and each cavity isseparated by a distance corresponding to the first pitch. The leafspring is fed in a direction of an arrow from the lower right of thedrawing and the elastic member is supplied into all the six cavities,then the resin that is the block member body is injected into eachcavity, and the inside of the cavity is filled with the resin. At thistime, the resin portion is preferably formed on a lower surface side ofa partial region of the elastic member, and the resin may not be formedon a lower surface side in the other region of the elastic member (forexample, the lower surface of the elastic member is brought into closecontact with the mold so as not to enter the resin). The resin portionformed in the partial region can be the lower surface side supportingportion BLS. The region of the elastic member EE in contact with thelower surface side supporting portion BLS can be set as the fixed regionECR1. Further, in the elastic member EE in the cavity, the region wherethe resin on the upper surface side is formed and the resin on the lowersurface side is not formed can be set as the semi-fixed region ECR2. Inthis drawing, a cavity shape having a side surface supporting portion incontact with the side surface of the elastic member EE is exhibited.

Here, in the mold, the elastic member is disposed in a state of beingcurved so that its upper surface is the outer periphery. This makes itpossible to form a resin in a state where a distance between the blockmembers when the plurality of block members BE is formed into a linearshape is zero. Although a plurality of block members may be collectivelyformed in a non-curved state and then cut to be separated intoindividual block members, curvature of the supporting member in thevalley direction is allowed by an extent of cutting. In such a case, aspacer having a predetermined thickness may be formed on the end surfaceof the block member. For example, by utilizing a thickness of a highrigidity member of the fourth example as the spacer, it is possible toobtain excellent productivity in addition to improvement in reliability.

The resin is cured to a degree that is taken out of at least the mold,then the leaf spring is fed forward by the distance corresponding to thesix block members, and the next six block members are formed. Byrepeating this, it is possible to efficiently manufacture the supportingmember. The fixed region and the semi-fixed region do not necessarilyneed to be defined by only the lower surface side supporting portion.For example, the elastic member in the semi-fixed region may be deformedand physically peeled off while being fixed so as not to damage adhesionforce of the fixed region. In addition, the fixed region and thesemi-fixed region may be formed by controlling oractivating/deactivating surface roughness with respect to apredetermined region of the elastic member and generating a differencein adhesion strength with an adhesion improving/lowering agent such asfat or oil. Alternatively, one or more of these may be combined.

FIG. 11 is a view explaining an example of a method of manufacturing thesupporting member in the eighth example of the present invention. Inthis example, a mold in which a cavity during hoop formation is arrangedat a pitch of twice the first pitch is prepared. The block member formedin each cavity includes a fixed region and a semi-fixed region adjacentin a direction perpendicular to the first direction of the fixed region.For example, the semi-fixed region has a slit structure in which anelastic member can be inserted from, for example, a transversaldirection (perpendicular to the first direction), a wedge shorter than afirst direction length of a slit may be hammered in the lower surfaceside of the elastic member after inserting the elastic member into theslit, and a protruded portion corresponding to the wedge may be formedin advance in the slit. A fixing method is not limited thereto, and maybe any method as long as inclination of the block member is reduced evenwhen a stress in the first direction is applied, and curvature of theelastic member corresponding to the mountain warp of the supportingmember is allowed. By combining the elastic members in which the twoblock members obtained by the mold are formed as shown in the drawing,it is possible to easily obtain a block member in which the fixed regionand the semi-fixed region as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 are arranged in azigzag.

FIG. 12 is a view conceptually showing a ninth example of the supportingmember of the present invention. In this example, the supporting memberCG includes a coupling portion TE that couples the block members to eachother. The coupling portion limits a radius of curvature between a blockmember and another block member to not be equal to or less than acertain value. In this way, a coupling portion TE acts as a curvaturelimit prescribing unit, thereby reducing occurrence of flexure andproviding the supporting member CG having excellent durability and highreliability.

When the elastic member EE has a property as a spring, the curved shapeof the supporting member is determined by a relationship between abending elastic modulus and an external force even without such acoupling portion TE. However, an accidental or temporary external stressmay be applied to a specific position of the supporting member due to acollision with another member, a catch during operation, or the like.Alternatively, durability of the specific position of the supportingmember may be poor due to variations in quality and characteristics ofrespective members constituting the supporting member, and wear of thespecific position may progress due to distribution of hardness andweight of a supported member. When local strength deterioration of theelastic member EE occurs due to such a reason, a deformation amount ofthe position is large even under the same external force, so thatdeterioration is further accelerated, and finally the elastic member EEis damaged through flexure. In contrast, in the supporting member ofthis example, even when a large external stress is locally applied orlocal strength deterioration occurs, a minimum radius of curvature ofthe curvature is prescribed by the coupling portion TE, and furtherdeterioration is reduced. Since the curvature of the entire supportingmember is formed by curving another position where only a radius ofcurvature larger than the prescribed minimum radius of curvature isgenerated, in addition to improvement of the durability of thesupporting member, a curved shape in which a curved shape of each partis further averaged can be obtained.

When the elastic member is made from a material having a certain orhigher elastic modulus or a material having a restoring force, such as ametal used for the leaf spring, since a risk of relative positiondisplacement or the like between the block members is small, apercentage of a deformable region (the semi-fixed region and/or regionfacing the escaping portion) in the longitudinal direction of theelastic member can be increased. In the supporting member to which suchan elastic member is applied, since the curved shape of the supportingmember can be formed by deformation of a wide region of the elasticmember, high reliability can be obtained. On the other hand, when alarge external stress is applied accidentally or temporarily or whenbending with a radius of curvature smaller than that of a normaloperation has occurred due to a locally large external stress, such amaterial may be damaged larger than a material having a small elasticmodulus.

In contrast, by combining a unit for prescribing the minimum radius ofcurvature with the supporting member that can form a fixed radius ofcurvature alone by spring elasticity or a restoring force of the elasticmember, a supporting member having high reliability in both the normaloperation and the accidental/temporary operation is provided.

In this example, the elastic member EE not only determines the curvedshape of the supporting member but has a vibration reducing function. Inthe supporting member including the coupling portion, the presence orabsence of the function of the coupling portion may be instantaneouslyswitched, which may cause vibration during operation of the supportingmember. In contrast, a deformation speed can be moderately reduced andvibration can be reduced before action of the coupling portion by ashape restoring force caused by curving and bending elasticity of theelastic member EE.

The coupling portion is formed between at least two block members, andis physically connected such that a block member and another blockmember can interlock with each other. For example, the coupling portionmay be a tape of which both ends are pasted to upper surfaces of the twoblock members respectively. A length thereof results in a remainder whenthe supporting member is in a linear shape or does not generate tension.In addition, when the supporting member is in a prescribed curved shapeor a curved shape between the block members is in the prescribed curvedshape, any length may be used as long as the remainder is absent ortension is generated. Further, when the supporting member includes thesemi-fixed region, separation between the upper surface of the elasticmember EE and the lower surface of the block member BE occurs in thesemi-fixed region, and then generation of vibration is preferablyreduced in addition to improvement in reliability when the length is nottoo large.

In this example, the coupling portion may be any member havingflexibility, and is suitably a string or fibrous member in addition tothe tape. A material of the coupling portion is preferably a materialhaving excellent strength, slippage, and low dusting property, andexamples thereof include a fluorine resin and a polyamide resin. Thematerial is not limited to a polymer material, and a metal wire or thelike may be used. However, it is only necessary to reduce flexure of theelastic member EE by the coupling portion, and it is not necessary todetermine a curved shape only by this. Therefore, excessive strength isnot required, and a flexible coupling portion can be used to reduce thesize and weight. For example, breaking strength of the coupling portionmay be smaller than that of the elastic member EE when a tensile stressis applied in the first direction. A weight per unit length in the firstdirection may be smaller than the weight of the elastic member EE.Further, the coupling portion preferably has a smaller bending elasticmodulus than that of the elastic member, and more preferably has abending elastic modulus smaller than that of a conduit bag CP forstoring the supporting member.

Preferably, as indicated by a broken line in the drawing, a recessedportion (groove BD) in which the bottom surface extends in the firstdirection is formed on the upper surface BUS of the block member BE, andthe coupling portion TE is preferably formed in the recessed portion.Alternatively, a protruded portion may be provided at a position wherethe coupling portion TE is not formed in the upper surface BUS. Bysetting the coupling portion at a relatively low position, when thesupporting member is in a linear shape, an amount of extension of theremainder of the coupling portion TE can be reduced, and contact withthe conduit bag CP (not shown in the drawings) for storing thesupporting member can be reduced. Particularly preferably, even thoughthe supporting member has a linear shape, the coupling portion has agroove depth (or a height of the protruded portion) in which thecoupling portion is not in contact with the conduit bag. Further,frequency and/or possibility of contact with the conduit bag can bereduced by pasting the block member BE so as to include an inclinationin a direction approaching a sectional member in an end portion of apasting region of the block member BE to the upper surface BUS, insteadof being parallel to the upper surface of the elastic member (not shownin the drawings).

The coupling portion TE is disposed so as to pass through an inner sideof a contour of the block member when the supporting member is in acurved shape. For example, the coupling portion includes a flexure pointTEB as shown in the drawing on the upper surface BUS. In other words,when the supporting member is in the curved shape, the coupling portionTE passes through an optional point TP1 on the block member and a pointTP2 on the end surface of the block member, and a distance from TP2 tothe upper surface of the elastic member is smaller than a distance fromTP1 to the upper surface of the elastic member. By providing a bentportion of the coupling portion TE so as to approximate a shape of theelastic member during curving, instead of forming the coupling portionTE on the upper surface BUS of the block member BE, the remainder can beshortened, and a risk or the like of biting between the block memberscan be reduced.

As long as the coupling portion is a member having an elastic modulus soas not to prevent the occurrence of flexure, that is, a member in arange where a curvature limit can be prescribed, a member havingrelatively low elasticity, such as a spring or rubber, can be applied.Further, the coupling portion is not limited to formation on the uppersurface of the block member, and may be formed in an interior, a sidesurface, or a bottom surface (the escaping portion BEP).

For example, when the block member BE is mounted on the elastic memberEE and then the supporting member is formed into a shape having theprescribed minimum radius of curvature, the coupling portion is pastedso as to straddle the plurality of block members, so that theconfiguration of this example can be obtained. In addition, the couplingportion in a state of including a clearance corresponding to theremainder may be pasted to the supporting member in a linear shape, orthe block member coupled in advance by the coupling portion may bemounted to the elastic member EE.

FIG. 13 is a view conceptually showing a tenth example of the supportingmember of the present invention. In this example, the block member BEhas a body portion which is a region on the contact region ECR of theelastic member EE, and the coupling portion TE includes acantilever-shaped one end side extension portion BUP extending from thebody portion of the block member in the longitudinal direction of thesupporting member. By using the coupling portion whose shape is fixed inthis way, it is possible to obtain a supporting member in which thecurvature limit is prescribed stably. Further, the number of steps atthe time of assembly of the supporting member can be reduced. The oneend side extension portion BUP is made from the same material as that ofthe block member BE and is preferably formed integrally with the blockmember BE. In such a configuration, since the block member BE does notinclude a bonding interface such as an adhesive surface, a supportingmember having excellent reliability and durability and high dimensionalstability can be obtained.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 13, the one end side extension portion BUPextends to a position overlapping with another block member adjacent toone end side of the block member. The one end side extension portion BUPincludes an abutment region TCR on a region overlapping with anotherblock member. As shown in (b) of FIG. 13, when the supporting member islargely curved and a distance D between the one block member and theanother block member reaches a predetermined size, the abutment regionTCR abuts against the abutment region TCR of the another block memberand limits the distance D so as not to increase further.

As a result, the radius of curvature of the supporting member CG islimited so as not to be equal to or lower than a certain value,including local ones, that is, the supporting member CG that reducesoccurrence of flexure and has excellent durability and reliability isprovided.

As shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 13, the block member BE may extend inthe longitudinal direction of the supporting member from the bodyportion on the other end side of the block member BE, and may includethe other end side extension portion BLP including the abutment regionTCR. The abutment region TCR of the one end side extension portion BUPabuts against the abutment region TCR formed in the other end sideextension portion BLP of the adjacent block member, thereby limiting theamount of curvature to a certain value or less.

As shown in FIG. 13, one of one end side extension portion and the otherend side extension portion is preferably formed in a region above theblock member (a side far from the elastic member EE), and the other ispreferably formed below the block member (a side close to the elasticmember EE). This makes it possible to achieve both the strength of theblock member and wear reduction of the extension portion. However, thepresent invention is not limited thereto, and respective extensionportions may be arranged in a transverse line in parallel with the uppersurface of the elastic member EE, or a positional relationship in whichone extension portion is interposed between the other extension portionsmay be used.

It is preferable that the abutment region TCR formed on one end side ofthe block member and the abutment region TCR formed on the other endside respectively have surfaces parallel to each other. For example,when the supporting member is curved, in a case where a rotationaldeviation occurs as viewed from a linear direction of the upper surfaceof the elastic member EE in a certain block member, the abutment regionTCR is in contact with the abutment region TCR of the adjacent blockmember, and the mutually parallel surfaces are in close contact witheach other to correct the rotational deviation. In this way, asupporting member having high operation accuracy is provided.

In this example, the end surface BES of the block member BE thatprescribes the linear shape of the supporting member CG is formed on theside surface of the block member body portion and the apical surface ofthe one side extension portion BUP. However, in the linear shape, bothof them do not necessarily need to be in contact with the adjacent blockmembers, and either one of them may be in a shape in contact. In thisexample, the side surface of the block member body portion, which isexpected to have a large thickness and a small amount of deformationwith respect to the compressive stress, is preferably the end surfaceBES that prescribes the linear shape of the supporting member CG.

In this example, the contact region ECR in contact with the block memberBE in the upper surface of the elastic member EE is formed only of thefixed region ECR1 whose deformation is restricted by being fixed to thebottom surface of the block member. Even when the contact region ECRdoes not include the semi-fixed region ECR2, the coupling portion TEacting as the curvature limit prescribing portion of the supportingmember prescribes the minimum radius of curvature of the supportingmember, whereby a supporting member having high durability andreliability can be obtained. However, it goes without saying that evenhigher durability and reliability can be obtained by including thesemi-fixed region ECR2.

When the supporting member CG has a curvature limit prescribed by thecoupling portion TE, the abutment region of a certain block member andthe abutment region of the adjacent block member are parallel to eachother, so that occurrence of wear or damage can be reduced. In otherwords, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 13, the two abutment regions TCRof the respective block members BE may include contact surfaces that arenot parallel to each other, and an intersection line of each contactsurface may be included in a position far from the bottom surface sideof the block member and the generally bottom surface as viewed from theblock member. Alternatively, the general intersection line is preferablypositioned farther from the lower surface of the elastic member EE asviewed from the block member.

(a) and (b) of FIG. 14 are views conceptually showing an eleventhexample of the supporting member of the present invention and representan optional cross-section of the supporting member CG. In this example,the one end side extension portion BUP is formed thick in a verticaldirection in the optional cross-section parallel to the longitudinaldirection (first direction) of the supporting member. As a result, theone end extension portion BUP can be utilized as an end surface BESformation region that prescribes a linear shape without being limited touse as the coupling portion TE. The coupling portion TE that prescribesthe minimum radius of curvature when the supporting member is curved andthe end surface TES prescribing the linear shape are preferably disposedat a position where a distance from the elastic member EE is large. Bymaking the one end extension portion thick, it is possible to disposethe one end extension portion having both ends on the upper surface ofthe block member. In an optional cross-section perpendicular to theupper surface of the elastic member and parallel to the first direction,when a thickness of the one end extension portion BUP in a directionperpendicular to the upper surface of the elastic member is set as TBUP,TBUP is preferably 30% or more, particularly preferably 45% or more of amaximum thickness of the block member body portion in the samecross-section.

In this example, the end surface of the one end side extension portionBUP includes a perpendicular surface perpendicular to the upper surfaceof the elastic member EE and a protruded portion including an inclinedsurface formed above and below the perpendicular surface. The other endof the block member includes a recessed surface having a position and ashape corresponding to the protruded portion. With such a configuration,when the supporting member CG is in a linear shape, it is possible toimprove accuracy of the adjacent block member in a height direction.

The block member BE of this example will be described with reference toFIG. 15 and FIG. 16. In FIG. 15, (c) is a view of the block member BE ofthis example viewed from the same direction as in FIG. 14, and when (c)is a front view, (a) is a top view, (b) is a left side view, and (d) isa right side view. (a) of FIG. 16 represents a cross-section of theblock member BE at a position of AA′ in FIG. 15, and (b) of FIG. 16represents a cross-section of the block member BE at a position of BB′in FIG. 15. In these drawings, illustration of a lower surface sidesupporting portion of the block member formed on the elastic member EEand a lower surface side thereof is omitted.

The block member BE includes a guide portion BGP and a guide groove BGD.As shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 15, the guide portion BGP includes aside wall extending in the vertical direction (a direction intersectingwith the bottom surface BBS of the block member). As shown in (a) and(d) of FIG. 15, the guide groove BGD includes a side wall extending inthe vertical direction. When assembled as will be described later, aside wall of the guide portion BGP is configured to be approximatelyparallel to the side wall of the facing guide groove BGD, preferablyconfigured to be perpendicular to the bottom surface of the blockmember. A width (distance between the side walls) of the guide grooveBGD is preferably 1.005 times or more and 1.1 times or less of the widthof the guide portion BGP.

The supporting member CG using the block member is assembled such thatthe guide portion BGP of the block member is inserted into the guidegroove BGD of the adjacent block member. In this example, not only whenthe supporting member is in a linear shape, but also when the supportingmember is in a curved shape, at least a part of the guide portion ispositioned in the guide groove. Thus, regardless of the shape of thesupporting member, it is possible to reduce positional deviation androtational deviation between the block members. When a movement strokeof the supporting member is more than 2 m, side toppling of the conduitsupporting device CU may occur due to a weight of a conduit to bemounted. In contrast, by having the configuration of this example, evenif a long stroke is more than 2 m, the risk of side toppling can bereduced.

A twelfth example of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 17, FIG. 18, and FIG. 19. (a) of FIG. 17 representsthe supporting member CG in a linear shape, and (b) of FIG. 17represents the supporting member CG in a curved shape. FIG. 18represents a single block member BE (including the elastic member EE),and when (c) of FIG. 18 is a front view, (a) is a top view, (b) is aleft side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a bottom view. (a)of FIG. 19 is a view for explaining a thin portion BDP formed on asurface of the left side surface, and (b) of FIG. 19 shows a sectionalview at a position of a dash-dot line in (a) of FIG. 19.

In this example, the block member BE includes an extension regionvertically provided downward at an apex of the one end side extensionportion BUP. One end side surface of the extension region includes theend surface BES, and as shown in (a) of FIG. 17, when the supportingmember CG has a linear shape, the end surface BES abuts against the endsurface of the adjacent block member BE. The block member BE includes anextension region vertically provided upward at an apex of the other endside extension portion BLP.

The extension region on one end side includes the abutment region TCR ona surface opposite to the end surface BES. The extension region on theother end side also includes another abutment region TCR. As shown in(b) of FIG. 17, when the supporting member CG has maximum curvatureprescribed in advance, the abutment region TCR on one end side abutsagainst the abutment region TCR on the other end side of the adjacentblock member, thereby reducing further curvature of the supportingmember CG.

In this example, a claw portion BTN is formed in the vicinity of an apexof the extension region on one end side, and a receiving portion BTD isformed in the vicinity of a root of the extension region on the otherend side. The supporting member CG is assembled such that the clawportion BTN is fitted into the receiving portion BTD of the adjacentblock member. Thus, even when an unexpected external stress is appliedto the supporting member CG during assembly or the like, it is possibleto prevent abutment surfaces facing each other from deviating in thevertical direction.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 17, the extension region on the other end sideforms a slit between on an upper portion of the receiving portion BTDand the block member body portion. In a horizontal direction of thedrawing, a minimum width of a groove is formed smaller than a maximumthickness of the claw portion BTN. Thus, the abutment surfaces can bemore reliably prevented from being deviated in the vertical direction.In the assembly, the block member is elastically deformed, so thatinsertion and extraction can be made possible without requiring specialequipment or work.

As shown in (e) of FIG. 18, (a) of FIG. 19, and (b) of FIG. 19, the thinportion BDP is formed in a part of the extension region formed at theapex of the one end side extension portion BUP. That is, the generalextension region includes a thick portion formed near the upper surfaceof the block member BE and a thin portion formed below the block memberBE.

By having the thick portion near the upper surface, it is possible toreduce the weight while maintaining high compressive elasticity. Thethin portion may be connected between two adjacent abutment regions TCR.As a result, mechanical strength of the abutment region TCR can bereinforced. The thin portion may be formed between two adjacent clawportions BTN. As a result, workability in fitting during assembly can beimproved, and occurrence of microcracks due to a mechanical stressduring assembly can be reduced.

The extension region of the other end side extension portion BLPincludes a supporting plate BSB. By reinforcing the mechanical strengthof the extension region, a stable operation and high durability can beobtained.

A thirteenth example of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 20 and FIG. 21. (a) of FIG. 20 represents thesupporting member CG in a linear shape, and (c) of FIG. 20 representsthe supporting member CG in a curved shape. (b) and (d) of FIG. 20 aresectional views of the supporting member CG corresponding to (a) and (c)of FIG. 20, respectively. When (a) of FIG. 20 is a front view, (a) ofFIG. 21 is a top view, and (b) of FIG. 21 is a right side view. (b) and(d) of FIG. 20 are sectional views at a position of B-B in (a) of FIG.21, and (c) of FIG. 21 is a sectional view at a position of A-A in (a)of FIG. 20 and (a) of FIG. 21.

The block member BE includes an extension region vertically provideddownward at an apex of the one end side extension portion BUP. One endside surface of the extension region includes the end surface BES, andas shown in (a) of FIG. 20, when the supporting member CG has a linearshape, the end surface BES abuts against the end surface BES of theadjacent block member BE. The block member BE includes an extensionregion vertically provided upward at the apex of the other end sideextension portion BLP.

The extension region on one end side includes the abutment region TCR ona surface opposite to the end surface BES. The extension region on theother end side also includes another abutment region TCR. In thisexample, each extension region has an apex curved inward, and theabutment region TCR is formed on an inner peripheral surface of thecurvature. As shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. 20, when the supportingmember CG has maximum curvature prescribed in advance, the abutmentregion TCR on one end side abuts against the abutment region TCR on theother end side of the adjacent block member. These abutment regionsprescribe the minimum radius of curvature of the supporting member CGand provide high reliability. In addition, the extension region whoseapex is curved inward prevents occurrence of inclination of the blockmember, and fitting of the abutment region is hard to disengage evenwhen the inclination occurs.

In this example, the block member BE includes a pair of plate-shapedportions formed from the body portion of the block member BE to the BUP.In a region surrounded by the pair of plate-shaped portions, one endside extension region, and the block member body portion, an extensionregion erected upward is inserted into the apex of the other end sideextension portion BLP. Inner wall surfaces of the pair of plate-shapedportions appropriately control an operation of the other end sideextension region, thereby reducing bending or twisting of the supportingmember.

In this example, the fixed region ECR1 is formed not in the body portionof the block member BE but on the lower surface of the other end sideextension portion BLP.

(a) and (b) of FIG. 22 are sectional views conceptually showing anexample of the conduit supporting device CU using the supporting memberCG. The conduit supporting device includes a conduit bag CP having aplurality of insertion paths. The supporting member CG is inserted intothe insertion path at both ends of the cross-section of the conduit bagCP, and the conduit CT is inserted into each insertion path therebetweento form an integrated flat conduit supporting device CU. The conduit bagCP is made from a fluorine resin (PTFE or the like) in which generationof vinyl chloride or dust is reduced. The conduit bag CP may be formedof a composite material to which a plurality of resin films are pasted.The insertion path of the supporting member is not limited to on bothends and may be an insertion path positioned between a plurality ofconduits CT, and the number of insertion of the supporting member may beone or three or more. The number of conduits in each insertion path andthe number of insertion paths through which the conduits are insertedmay be an optional number. In addition, for the conduit, a cable fortransmitting electrical energy and a tube for transmitting fluid may bepresent alone or in combination. Further, the conduit supporting deviceCU is not limited to a flat type as shown in the drawing, and even in atubular shape or the like, the supporting member CG can be applied.

In addition, the conduit CT and the supporting member CG may be insertedinto the insertion path of the conduit bag CP formed in advance, and theconduit CT and the conduit supporting member CG may be configured bylamination. Alternatively, a part of the conduit CT and the conduitsupporting member CG may be configured by lamination, and the remainingpart may be inserted.

FIG. 23 is a view conceptually showing an example of a processingapparatus PU including the conduit supporting device CU. The processingapparatus PU includes a stage PUS on the body, and an object to beprocessed (not shown in the drawings) is disposed on the stage PUS. Asshown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 23, the processing apparatus PU includes aprocessing head PUH that is movable relatively to the object to beprocessed. One end of the conduit supporting device CU is connected tothe body of the processing apparatus as a fixed end, and the other endis connected to the processing head PUH. In accordance with a positionof the processing head PUH, a position corresponding to a U-shapedcurved portion moves, and a length of two facing linear portionschanges, so that stable connection between the body and the processinghead PUH can be maintained.

In the conduit supporting device CU of the present invention, a productof high quality can be obtained since dropping, positional deviation, orthe like due to damage of the supporting member does not occur. Inaddition, since deterioration of the elastic member EE is reduced byincluding the time of operation and the time of stop of the processingapparatus PU, a processing apparatus PU having little stop time formaintenance and high productivity can be provided. Furthermore, sincevibration during movement of the processing head is reduced, excellentproductivity can be obtained even in processing where high positionalaccuracy is required.

The object to be processed may be, for example, a sheet/plate materialsuch as a semiconductor wafer or a flat panel display or may be athree-dimensional structure such as a mechanical component. Examples ofthe processing head PUH include a gripping unit that grips an object tobe processed for conveyance, a processing unit for physically and/orchemically processing an object to be processed, or an electromagneticwave irradiation/detection unit that irradiates an object to beprocessed with electromagnetic waves or detects electromagnetic wavesfrom the object to be processed. The conduit supporting device CU isformed in a U shape such that the elastic member of the inner supportingmember CG is inside the block member. A region corresponding to a linearportion of the U shape can have a length of, for example, 0.1 m to 5 maccording to the position of the processing head. In this example, amaximum moving distance (stroke) of the processing unit is 3 m, and theconduit supporting device CU is formed to follow the distance. A radiusof curvature of curvature at a position corresponding to a curvedportion of the U shape is preferably 0.02 m or more and 0.3 m or less.In addition, a region corresponding to the upper linear portion of the Ushape of the conduit supporting device CU may be slightly deflecteddownward due to its own weight when the apparatus is stopped, but anamount of deflection of the supporting device is preferably 50 mm orless, particularly preferably 30 mm or less. Here, the deflection amountof the supporting device is a maximum value of a distance from astraight line connecting a position where the conduit supporting deviceis connected to the processing head PUH and a position of a boundary(inflection point) between the curved portion and the linear portion ofthe U shape to an optional point on the upper surface of the conduitsupporting device.

Further, the conduit supporting device CU is not limited to use in adirection in which a direction of gravity intersects with the linearportion as shown in the drawing, and may be used in a direction wheredirections of the linear portion and gravity are parallel to each other.At this time, the curved portion may be above or below the linearportion.

As described above, in the conduit supporting device CU including thesupporting member CG, breakage of the elastic member is reduced, andhigh reliability is provided. Further, in the processing apparatusincluding such a conduit supporting device CU, not only breakage isreduced, but stain of an object to be processed or environment due todust or leakage caused by breakage is also reduced, or processingefficiency can be improved by a long moving stroke and a long life.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The supporting member, the conduit supporting device, and the processingapparatus according to the present invention can be applied to, forexample, a robot traveling device assembled to a machining line, asemiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a flat panel displaymanufacturing apparatus, an electronic component mounting apparatus, andthe like.

1. A supporting member comprising: an elastic member having a firstsurface and extending in a first direction; and a plurality of blockmembers fixed to the elastic member and each having a bottom surfacefacing the first surface of the elastic member and an end surfaceintersecting with the first direction, wherein the supporting member isdeformable, from a first shape in which the end surfaces of theplurality of block members are in contact with each other, into a secondshape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block members areseparated from each other and the supporting member is curved in adirection so that the first surface of the elastic member is at an outerside, the elastic member includes a first region whose deformation isrestricted by being fixed to the bottom surface of the block member, andthe supporting member includes a flexure reduction unit for reducingoccurrence of flexure at a position near the first region of the elasticmember.
 2. A supporting member comprising: an elastic member having afirst surface and extending in a first direction; and a plurality ofblock members fixed to the elastic member and each having a bottomsurface facing the first surface of the elastic member and an endsurface intersecting with the first direction, wherein the supportingmember is deformable, from a first shape in which the end surfaces ofthe plurality of block members are in contact with each other, into asecond shape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block membersare separated from each other and the supporting member is curved in adirection so that the first surface of the elastic member is at an outerside, and the elastic member includes: a first region whose deformationis restricted by being fixed to the bottom surface of the block member;and a second region that is in contact with the bottom surface of theblock member in the first shape and is separated from the bottom surfaceof the block member in the second shape.
 3. The supporting memberaccording to claim 1, wherein a percentage of a total length of thefirst region of the elastic member to an entire length of the elasticmember is 75% or less.
 4. The supporting member according to claim 2,wherein the elastic member further includes a third region that isseparated from the bottom surface of the block member in the first shapeand is separated from the bottom surface of the block member in thesecond shape, and a percentage of the second region to a total length ofthe second region and the third region is 10% or more.
 5. The supportingmember according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is aplate-shaped member containing SUS301 or SUS304 and having a thicknessof 0.1 mm or more.
 6. The supporting member according to claim 1,wherein the block member is made from a polymer material having acompressive elastic modulus of 1000 MPa or more in a state in which nofiller is contained.
 7. A supporting member comprising: an elasticmember having a restoring force, having a first surface, and extendingin a first direction; and a plurality of block members fixed to theelastic member and each having a bottom surface facing the first surfaceof the elastic member and an end surface intersecting with the firstdirection, wherein the supporting member is deformable, from a firstshape in which the end surfaces of the plurality of block members are incontact with each other, into a second shape in which the end surfacesof the plurality of block members are separated from each other and thesupporting member is curved in a direction so that the first surface ofthe elastic member is at an outer side, the elastic member includes aplurality of fixed regions whose deformation is restricted by beingfixed to the bottom surface of the block member and a plurality ofdeformable regions that are curvable in the second shape, a percentageof a total length of the plurality of fixed regions to an entire lengthof the elastic member is 75% or less, and the supporting member includesa minimum curvature radius prescribing portion that prescribes a minimumradius of curvature of the supporting member.
 8. The supporting memberaccording to claim 7, wherein the plurality of block members include afirst block member and a second block member adjacent to the first blockmember, and the minimum curvature radius prescribing portion includes: afirst abutment surface formed in the first block member; and a secondabutment surface that is formed in the second block member and is incontact with the first abutment surface when a distance between thefirst block member and the second block member has reached apredetermined size by curvature of the supporting member.
 9. A conduitsupporting device comprising: the supporting member according to claim1; a conduit; and a conduit bag into which the supporting member and theconduit are inserted.
 10. A processing apparatus comprising: the conduitsupporting device according to claim
 9. 11. The supporting memberaccording to claim 2, wherein a percentage of a total length of thefirst region of the elastic member to an entire length of the elasticmember is 75% or less.
 12. The supporting member according to claim 2,wherein the elastic member is a plate-shaped member containing SUS301 orSUS304 and having a thickness of 0.1 mm or more.
 13. The supportingmember according to claim 2, wherein the block member is made from apolymer material having a compressive elastic modulus of 1000 MPa ormore in a state in which no filler is contained.
 14. A conduitsupporting device comprising: the supporting member according to claim2; a conduit; and a conduit bag into which the supporting member and theconduit are inserted.
 15. A processing apparatus comprising: the conduitsupporting device according to claim
 14. 16. A conduit supporting devicecomprising: the supporting member according to claim 7; a conduit; and aconduit bag into which the supporting member and the conduit areinserted.
 17. A processing apparatus comprising: the conduit supportingdevice according to claim 16.